Toothbrush with a replaceable function part

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush includes a handle and a function part. The handle includes an installation end in which an insertion hole is defined axially. An opening is defined through the wall of the installation end and communicates with the insertion hole. A guiding groove is formed axially in the inside of the insertion hole. The function part includes a head with bristles, and an insertion which extends from one end of the head and has a through hole defined therethrough. A spring member is secured in the through hole and includes a protrusion. The insertion is inserted into the insertion hole of the handle, and the protrusion is movably engaged with the guiding groove until the protrusion is engaged with the opening when the insertion is positioned in the insertion hole. The spring member is not deformed when the protrusion moves along the guiding groove.

The present invention is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/793,283, filed on Oct. 25, 2017.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the Invention 2. Descriptions of Related Art

Some of the conventional toothbrushes includes a mechanism that allows the users to replace the toothbrush head when needed, and multiple function parts are developed for being connected with the handle to have different functions of oral health.

The present invention is intended to provide a toothbrush with a replaceable function part that is easily disassembled from, and assembled to the handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a toothbrush and comprises a handle having an installation end and a grip end respectively formed on two ends thereof. The installation end has an insertion hole defined axially therein. An opening is defined through the wall of the installation end and communicates with the insertion hole. A guiding groove is formed axially in the inside of the insertion hole. A function part includes a head and an insertion that extends from one end of the head. The insertion includes a through hole defined therethrough. A spring member is secured in the through hole and has a protrusion. The insertion is inserted into the insertion hole of the handle and the protrusion movably engaged with the guiding groove. The spring member is not deformed when the protrusion moves along the guiding groove. The protrusion is engaged with the opening when the insertion is positioned in the insertion hole.

Preferably, an inclined face is formed between the guiding groove and the opening, so that when the protrusion moves along the inclined face, the spring member is deformed, and the protrusion is engaged with the opening when the protrusion separates from the inclined face.

Preferably, the opening includes two restriction faces that are located on two insides of the opening, and a positioning face that is formed between the two restriction faces and located close to the inclined face. The protrusion contacts the two restriction faces and the positioning face when the protrusion is engaged with the opening.

Preferably, the function part includes a tongue which is located at a conjunction portion between the insertion and the head. The installation end of the handle has a notch that communicates with the insertion hole. The tongue is engaged with the notch when the insertion is positioned in the insertion hole.

Preferably, the insertion includes at least one restriction member extending therefrom and the at least one restriction member is located between two inside surfaces of the guiding groove to restrict the insertion from rotating relative to the handle.

Preferably, the at least one restriction member is located between the head and the through hole.

Preferably, the at least one restriction member is an elongate block.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another exploded view of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the handle and the function part of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show that the protrusion of the spring member moves along the guiding groove in the handle when the function part is connected to the handle of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view to show that the protrusion of the spring member moves along the inclined face in the handle to deform the spring member when the function part is connected to the handle of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view to show that the function part is fully connected to the handle of the toothbrush of the present invention, while the protrusion of the spring member is engaged with the opening of the handle;

FIG. 8 is a top view to show that the protrusion of the spring member is engaged with the opening of the handle;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view to show that the handle and the function part of the toothbrush in FIG. 9 are connected to each other, and

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view, taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the toothbrush 1 of the present invention comprises a handle 2 and a function part 3. The handle 2 includes an installation end 21 and a grip end 22 respectively formed on two ends thereof. The installation end 21 has an insertion hole 23 defined axially therein, and an opening 24 is defined through the wall of the installation end 21 and communicates with the insertion hole 23. A guiding groove 25 is formed axially in the inside of the insertion hole 23. A notch 27 is defined in the installation end 21 of the handle 2 and communicates with the insertion hole 23 as shown in FIG. 3.

The function part 3 includes a head 31 with bristles 310 connected thereto, and an insertion 32 that extends from one end of the head 31. The insertion 32 includes a through hole 33 defined therethrough. A spring member 34 is secured in the through hole 33 and has a protrusion 35 that protrudes from middle portion of the top of the spring member 34. The function part 3 further includes a tongue 36 which is located at the conjunction portion between the insertion 32 and the head 31.

When connecting the function part 3 to the handle 2, the insertion 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the handle 2 and the protrusion 35 movably engaged with the guiding groove 25. When the protrusion 35 moves along the guiding groove 25, as shown in FIG. 5, the spring member 34 is not deformed. As shown in FIG. 4, an inclined face 26 is formed between the guiding groove 25 and the opening 24. As shown in FIG. 6, when the protrusion 35 moves along the inclined face 26, the spring member 34 is pressed and deformed until the protrusion 35 is engaged with the opening 24 when the protrusion 35 separates from the inclined face 26. It is noted that the opening 24 includes two restriction faces 241 that are located on two insides of the opening 24, and a positioning face 242 is formed between the two restriction faces 241 and located close to the inclined face 26. The protrusion 35 contacts the two restriction faces 241 and the positioning face 242 when the protrusion 35 is engaged with the opening 24 as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the tongue 36 is engaged with the notch 27 when the insertion 32 is positioned in the insertion hole 23. Therefore, the function part 3 does not move laterally or is not rotatable relative to the handle 2 because of the engagement between the protrusion 35 is engaged with the opening 24, and the engagement between the tongue 36 and notch 27.

FIGS. 9 to 11 disclose another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the difference between the embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the insertion 32 includes at least one restriction member 37 extending therefrom. The at least one restriction member 37 is located between two inside surfaces 251 of the guiding groove 25 to restrict the insertion 32 from rotating relative to the handle 2. Preferably, the at least one restriction member 37 is located between the head 31 and the through hole 33. The at least one restriction member 37 is an elongate block.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush comprising: a handle having an installation end and a grip end respectively formed on two ends thereof, the installation end having an insertion hole defined axially therein, an opening defined through a wall of the installation end and communicating with the insertion hole, a guiding groove formed axially in an inside of the insertion hole, and a function part having a head and an insertion that extends from one end of the head, the insertion including a through hole defined therethrough, a spring member secured in the through hole and having a protrusion, the insertion inserted into the insertion hole of the handle and the protrusion movably engaged with the guiding groove, the spring member being not deformed when the protrusion moves along the guiding groove, the protrusion engaged with the opening when the insertion is positioned in the insertion hole.
 2. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inclined face is formed between the guiding groove and the opening, the spring member is deformed when the protrusion moves along the inclined face, the protrusion is engaged with the opening when the protrusion separates from the inclined face.
 3. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening includes two restriction faces that are located on two insides of the opening, a positioning face is formed between the two restriction faces and located close to the inclined face, the protrusion contacts the two restriction faces and the positioning face when the protrusion is engaged with the opening.
 4. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 3, wherein the function part includes a tongue which is located at a conjunction portion between the insertion and the head, a notch is defined in the installation end of the handle and communicates with the insertion hole, the tongue is engaged with the notch when the insertion is positioned in the insertion hole.
 5. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insertion includes at least one restriction member extending therefrom and the at least one restriction member is located between two inside surfaces of the guiding groove to restrict the insertion from rotating relative to the handle.
 6. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one restriction member is located between the head and the through hole.
 7. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one restriction member is an elongate block. 